1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flip-up type or folder type portable phone, at and more particularly, to an antenna device installed in a flip cover of a flip-up type portable phone or in a folder cover of a folder type portable phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable phones are generally grouped into a bar type, a flip type, and a folder type. In the bar type, an antenna device is located at a top edge of a body, and under the antenna device are sequentially disposed an ear piece including a speaker, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and a key pad including a plurality of keys. A microphone is disposed in a lowermost portion of the body.
A folder type portable phone is comprised of a body, a folder cover, and a hinge for mechanically connecting the body to the folder cover. An ear piece including a speaker is located in the folder cover. An antenna device is located at a top edge of the body, an LCD and a key pad are sequentially disposed under the antenna device, and a microphone is located in a lowermost portion of the body. Hinges for the folder type mobile phone for connecting the body to the folder cover are disposed at the uppermost end of the body.
A flip-type portable phone is comprised of a body, a flip cover, and a hinge for mechanically connecting the body to the flip cover. In the flip-type portable phone, an antenna device is located at a top edge of the body, and under the antenna device are sequentially disposed an ear piece including a speaker, an LCD, a key pad including a plurality of keys, and a microphone, which may be disposed in the flip cover, and is exposed when the flip cover is opened downwardly from the body.
A flip-up type portable phone is a type of flip type portable phone, in which the hinges are disposed on the body in the vicinity of each side of the LCD, thus allowing for opening or closing a flip cover. Each hinge has a rotating shaft at a side of the LCD. In prior art flip-up type phones, a speaker is located within the flip cover, and a wire is extended from the speaker and electrically connected to a main board of the body through the hinges. Ducts formed in necks of the flip cover define a path for electrically connecting the flip cover to the main board of the body. The flip cover has a rotating shaft at both sides of the LCD, which is exposed regardless of the opened or closed state of the flip cover. The flip cover is so configured as to be opened by being rotated upward from the body. A flip-up type portable phone and its hinges are disclosed in detail in Korea Application No. 97-76184, filed by Samsung Electronics, which is incorporated herein by reference.
To obtain high quality transmission and reception for conventional flip and folder type portable phones, a separately procured antenna device is installed at a top edge of the body. This disadvantageously increases the structural complexity of the phone. Furthermore, this imposes design constraints on the phone, as the antenna device has to be confined to the top edge of the body. As design issues are more significant for portable phones than for many other electronic appliances, this design constraint poses a significant obstacle to the successful development and production of portable phones.
A further problem of conventional flip-up type and folder type portable phones is the inconvenience entailed when extending a rod antenna of the antenna device while the flip cover is opened for a call, since the flip cover in effect will overlay the antenna.